Stray
by 7thPersona
Summary: Izuku and Ochako, now married, take in a stray puppy.


"Well I'd say that was a successful mission," Ochako chimed, walking hand and hand with her pleasantly smiling husband. In both of their free hands were several plastic grocery bags, filled with assorted goods.

"Yup!" Izuku confirmed, smiling down at Ochako, "I'm super excited to try making this!" In the bags were the ingredients for Italian Gnocchi Soup - when they got married and moved into together, the two decided that they would endeavor on a culinary journey, attempting to whip up unique dishes that neither had indulged.

"Well, I'm mostly excited about getting to eat it!" Ochako joked before nuzzling further into her jacket due to the cool breeze. On a chilly night, soup is always an appetizing selection. Changing the topic, Ochako asked, "So, how was your day, honey?"

Chit-chat continued to float between them as they leisurely made their way towards the apartment building. Less than half a block away from their home, a high-pitched whine interrupted Izuku as he told his wife about something a friend, Eijiro, had done earlier that day, "So, when we were visiting the school, he stood up on one of the students desks and started screaming the lyrics to Part of Your...," He trailed off, alert of the alarming sound.

"What do you think it is?" Ochako questioned, her brows furrowing.

They continued walking, albeit rather slowly, scoping the surrounding area for a possible source. "I don't know," Izuku frowned, his green eyes shifting to the dark alley near them. Ochako joined him, gazing down the narrow passageway, as well.

"Oh my gosh!" She exclaimed, sharply inhaling. "Izuku!" She dragged him into the alley, dropping her 2 grocery bags by the entrance.

"Wh-what?!" He yelped in confusion. Then he saw what was producing the sound. "Oh..." Huddled against the wall was a whimpering puppy, violent shivers wracking its small body.

"Poor baby...," Ochako moaned in dismay, crouching down. "He must be freezing," She reached out and the canine cowered away in fear. Ochako frowned up at her husband and he returned the look.

"Oh!" Izuku quietly and abruptly uttered. He reached into one of his grocery bags, the material crinkling loudly, and pulled out a sealed, pale blue package of vanilla biscuits. He peeled it open, taking the top cookie in his hand. "Maybe he'll like these?" He extended it out to the dog, calling softly, "Here, boy."

At first, the dirt-smothered puppy displayed no wish to move, only squashing himself closer to the slimy alley walls. But, after a tedious 2 or so minutes of Izuku offering the tantalizing treat, the small animal finally began to inch forward. Holding their breath, Izuku and Ochako anxiously waited as the puppy cautiously sniffed the food. At last, the first lick, and then an unsure bite, of the biscuit was taken, allowing the two heroes to silently rejoice. Swiftly, the rest of it was devoured with fervor.

"Good boy!" Ochako praised as Izuku pulled out another cookie, this time bringing it closer to himself. The dog quickly caught its scent and took a small step toward Izuku. Then he stepped again, and again, each time more confidently. And with a final step, the puppy retrieved his second cookie, his tail swaying as he finished up, licking his lips.

"You like those, huh?" Izuku cooed, gently rubbing the dog's head. "I do too," he popped one in his one affect, humming with delight for added effect. "Here, have another," this time, the treat was fed directly to the young puppy. And quickly, while the animal was distracted, Izuku scooped him up, tucking him in his muscled arms. He softly patted the still shivering puppy's belly. Luckily, he didn't resist.

As Izuku began to saunter off, carrying the groceries and the dog, Ochako scampered after, crying in concern, "Wait, we're keeping him at our apartment tonight, right?" Her eyes were wide with worry.

"Well, of course," Izuku sent her playfully questioning glance, "What else would we do?" Ochako heaved a sigh of relief, her hand over her chest.

As they made it back into the light of the night-life city, Ochako grabbed her earlier discarded grocery bags, then fell into a brisk walk along side Izuku. After another five minutes of travel — accompanied by the concerning whimpers of the small puppy — and a few turns in the path, the two heroes finally glimpsed their modest apartment building (they weren't Shouto and Momo, who lived in a massive complex together). They thanked God that their policies allowed pets, and even if it wasn't permitted, they would've found a way to sneak the stray inside.

When they were near, Ochako jogged ahead and swung open one of the glass doors leading into the lobby for Izuku, as his arms were quite stocked with a squirming pup and abundant sacks of food and household supplies. And upon their entering, a warm gust of air flew into their frost-bitten faces. It was impossible to resist the inevitable sigh of content.

"Oh!" The young receptionist perked up at the sight of the animal in Izuku's arms, running past the counter up to greet them. "Awe, what a cutie... where'd you get him?" She looked up, awaiting an answer.

Ochako supplied, "Poor baby was out shivering in an alley. We thought that we'd take him home for tonight and check for owners tomorrow." She readjusted the heavy bags in her hands, then continued, "But from the looks of it, he hasn't had someone to care for him in a long time." She frowned slightly, eyebrows pressed in sadness.

The worker hummed in acknowledgement, then began to attempt at lighting the briefly downcast mood, "It's always something new with you two! I never know what to expect when you come through those doors," she tilted her head towards them, and with a smile added, "Next thing you know, it'll be a baby cradled in your arms, not a dog!"

Instantaneously, the two heroes' faces combusted into furious bonfires of embarrassment. The girl realized her flustering and statement, and began to stammer in apology before trailing off.

Waving her hands, Ochako cried after forcing a laugh, "Haha, I don't know, maybe you're right! W-well, I think we better go!" The two began to stiffly and awkwardly walk away towards their own apartment.

"Well… that was... uncomfortable," Izuku sweat nervously, "But maybe she's not completely wrong." His smile, while shy and bashful, was vibrant and hopeful.

"Maybe…" Ochako's gently curving, pretty grin made her husband's heart flutter. They subconsciously slipped a little closer to one another.

They leaned farther, heads angling to smile and gaze lovingly into the other's eyes. But before the gap between them could disappear, a small, urgent whimper resounded from between them, reminding them of their task.

Looking down at the brown, messy-furred puppy, Ochako cringed in embarrassment, "Right, we better get you home." She rubbed his head softly, "Isn't that right, buddy?"

Then, in a blur of motion, the dog was gone, and so was the man holding him, leaving a shocked brunette behind. "Wha- Izuku?" She looked ahead, down the corridor. Her husband, the dog in his hands and bags of assorted items swishing behind him, was sprinting away. "Izuku!" Ochako screeched while running after him, smiling and giggling lively.

He was moving at an almost inhuman speed, and all without his powerful quirk. But, luckily, Ochako could do the same. And when Izuku looked over his shoulder to smile teasingly at his wife, he met his downfall. She was growing closer, closer, and closer, a grin on her face the entire time.

Until, "Wait! Izuku! You're dropping groceries everywhere!" A box of cookies fell out of one his many sacks, followed by a dish towel and a small collection of plant food. "Stop!" She yelled, laughing. But he didn't, no doubt a devious smile on his face.

So, she tapered to a slow walk, bending down to collect the discarded items. Rolling her eyes (but with a pleased smile that couldn't stay away), she breathed, "Goofball." Ochako slipped the stuff into her bags and continued her walk.

When she reached the apartment, the door was propped open and the heavenly scent of cinnamon and pine trees wafted out. She peaked her head in, glimpsing the flickering candle. Walking in, she set her groceries on the small bench against the wall. She removed her olive-green jacket and hung it up on one of the hooks in the entryway. "That wasn't very nice," Ochako giggled, untying her boots.

Izuku was leaning over, switching on the small heater, the puppy nuzzling into his yellow sweater. He was still holding all of his plastic bags. "I really just wanted to get this little guy home, he can't stop shivering." He frowned, brushing his fingers across the dog's left ear.

After carrying her things over to the kitchen and setting them on the counter, Ochako walked over to Izuku, reaching out to take the tiny puppy. Soon, he was cradled in her loving arms. "Thanks," Izuku spoke, then went over to set his things down. He began sifting through the bags, pulling out the cold items and finding them a place in their fridge.

He pulled out the ingredients for dinner and set them off to the side. Then, when the rest of the groceries belonging to the kitchen were dealt with, he began to prepare the Gnocchi soup. But, after setting the pot of water on the stove to boil, he sighed, and ran his hand through his forest-green hair.

"What's wrong?" Ochako frowned, approaching. She rubbed his shoulder with her free hand, concerned.

"Oh, it's nothing. Just remembered something." He gave a not-so-reassuring smile and continued, "Well, I've got to go out for a little — just a couple of minutes. I'll be back."

And before Ochako could protest in confusion, he was slipping into his jacket and grabbing his wallet. "Um, bye?" And he was out the door. She looked down at the puppy in her arms, and then up at the pot on the stove. "Oh." She laughed under her breath, "Guess you need dinner, too."

In less than ten minutes, Izuku came back through the door, sweaty from using his quirk to get halfway across the district and back, the second time hefting two sacks of who-knows-what and a 40 pound bag of dog food. "I'm back!" He called from the entryway, taking off his shoes.

"Welcome home," Ochako giggled. She was chopping vegetables, the little puppy resting at her feet. Izuku sat at one of the island-counter's bar stools, then dumped out the contents of the two plastic bags. There were various toys, a blanket, two different brushes, a dog bowl for food and water, treats, shampoo and conditioner, flea and tick treatment, and puppy training pads. "Woah," Ochako breathed, shocked by the abundance of dog-items.

"Yea," Izuku said sheepishly, "I didn't know what all to get." He chuckled slightly, "I got kinda excited… I never had any pets as a kid."

"Me either," Ochako related sadly, "We could never afford it." But she wouldn't let that ruin the night, "But now we both have the chance to see what it's like! Together!" She fist pumped into the air… and then remembered that she was holding a knife, "Ah! Oops!"

Her husband giggled, "Right! First off, I think we should give this little guy a bath, he definitely needs it." He went near Ochako to scoop the pup from the ground, causing him to perk up. "Do you think that you can handle dinner?" Izuku asked as he picked up the dog bath products.

"Leave it to me, Puppy Hero Deku!" Ochako smiled, teasingly shooing him into the bathroom. When he was away, she merrily continued to cook, occasionally glancing down at the recipe on the counter.

"Alrighty…," Izuku set the puppy down on the bathroom tile, and put the shampoo and conditioner on the toilet lid. He turned the shower knob and let lukewarm water fill the tub for a while. In the meantime, he got a bowl of cool water and set it down in front of the dog, who lapped it up immediately, clearly dehydrated. "Poor baby," He frowned, rubbing the dog's thin back.

When the tub was filled with about 3 inches of water, Izuku shut it off and placed the puppy inside. At first, he just stared at the water encompassing his lower half in confusion, but eventually began to move around in it, if only slightly. After letting him explore and get comfortable, Izuku kneeled down by the tub, grabbed a cup and scooped some water into it, then gently poured it over the small dog's body. When the puppy's fur was successfully wet, Izuku squeezed a dollop of shampoo into his hand, and began to rub it around. However, the struggling began immediately after that.

It was a long, wet 30 minutes, filled with the puppy whimpering and squirming around and quiet exclamations of "Wait! Hold still!", but Izuku was finally able to get the puppy washed. And while the animal was swaddled in a warm, fresh towel, Izuku was dripping wet, his sweater and pants soaked, with bubbles everywhere from his arms to hair. "Well, at least you're clean," Izuku sighed, leaning against the bathroom wall, exhausted.

With the puppy still wrapped up and in his arms, Izuku exited the bathroom, which looked like a soap bomb had gone off. The moment he reached Ochako's line of vision, she began to hysterically laugh. "Did you struggle?!" She cried, holding her stomach, "You're leaving a soap trail out of the bathroom!" Izuku frowned, his eyebrows furrowing. (Luckily, Ochako was able to snap a photo without him noticing.)

"How's dinner coming?" He asked, desperately wanting to change the topic.

"Oh, it just needs to cook for about 15 more minutes," The remnants of laughter lingered in her answer.

"Alright," Izuku murmured, walking up behind Ochako sneakily. Swiftly, he lifted up her shirt and pressed his free hand up against the small of her back, catching her off-guard.

"ACK!" Ochako screamed, "Your hand is so cold! And all wet and soapy!" He removed it, laughing. "Gross! Go shower!"

Izuku chuckled, "Okay, okay. But you watch him, okay?" He grinned, slipping the puppy into her arms.

"I will!" She huffed. When he walked off and into the bathroom, she mumbled, "Ew, ew." Looking down at the puppy in her arms, she cooed, "You wouldn't do anything like that, would you?" And in a shocking moment, the puppy licked her face, in a sort-of sloppy dog kiss. "I guess you would…," She sighed, wiping her face with her hand.

Later, while Izuku was in the shower, and after the dog was dried, brushed, and treated for ticks and fleas, Ochako filled the puppy's bowl with food and water. She set the table while he was eating, ladling soup into two bowls and placing a loaf of baked, garlic bread down.

"Dinner's ready!" Ochako called, and Izuku came out of the bathroom, wearing a long tee and a pair of sweats. He was trying to tug a brush through his crazy hair quickly, but it was getting him nowhere. "Here, let me help," Ochako giggled, approaching him as he let go of the brush handle (it effectively stayed lodged in his hair, however). In about 5 minutes, his hair was all brushed — that didn't mean that it was tame, though — and both heroes were seated at the table, the puppy sleeping soundly on Ochako's lap.

"Wow, honey, this is really good!" Izuku said through a spoonful of soup.

"Thanks, Izuku." She smiled, and took a nibble of her bread. Quickly after, dinner was finished, both bowls empty and three bellies full. Izuku, Ochako, and the dozing pup all settled on to the couch, the last sprawled across both of the heroes. Leaning into her husband, Ochako felt herself begin to drift into unconsciousness. She let her head fall onto Izuku's shoulder, and sighed in contentment. "Today has been nice and relaxing."

Izuku hummed in agreement, resting his head on his wife's, "Mm, I second that." He too began to doze off. That night, their home was… warm. Cozy, and almost inexplicably nostalgic. Peaceful, much unlike the heroes' daily lives. And the small animal sleeping between them only enhanced the home's comfort. Now, everything seemed to fall together perfectly and completely.

Not 15 minutes later, the two were startled awake by sudden incessant barking. "Wha-!" Ochako cried, sitting straight up, eyes wide. She looked over - Izuku's hands were raised defensively. "Wow, look what our profession has turned us into." She gave a small laugh before attempting to quiet the yapping puppy.

After many failed attempts to calm the animal, who had begun to scamper around the living room, Izuku offered, "Maybe he needs to use the restroom?" Ochako slammed her palm onto her face, dragging her hand down her features in exasperation. Izuku chuckled awkwardly, watching as she grabbed a training pad.

While she coaxed the dog into using the pad, Izuku scrolled through the latest news stories, using his favorite app to do so: Hero Headlines. He clicked the story titled, "Up-and-Coming Heroes and Their (Supposed) Significant Others". (What? He was curious.) He laughed when he noticed Shouto and Momo on the list, only to blush furiously when he and Ochako were on the list, along with several leaked photos of them out together.

He was pulled out of his thoughts of " _When did that even happen_?" and " _How did someone get a picture of that_?" by Ochako's frustrated groan. He looked over to see her leaning back on her hands, face scrunched in annoyance. "What's wrong, sweetie?" He slipped his phone into his pocket and walked over to her.

"All I want to do is curl up in bed and pretend to watch a movie while I really just play with your hair or sleep."

"And what's stopping you?" He sent her a questioning look.

"Dishes."

"Oh."

"Yeah."

"Don't worry about that, Ochako! I got it!" He smiled, helping her off the ground before proceeding to the kitchen (where a treacherous mountain of heaping dishes awaited him and the scrubber).

She picked up the brown puppy and made her way over to the sack of dog toys, shaking her head and saying something along the lines of, "You're too sweet."

30 minutes of bonding time (with the puppy for Ochako and the dish scrubber for Izuku) later, and the two heroes were collapsed on their bed, the puppy sitting happily on Izuku's chest. Ochako heard him murmur, "Well aren't you just full of glee? Let me tell you, doing the dishes would change that completely." The dog only whined and layed down, his face nestled into the crook of the green-haired hero's neck. Ochako quickly snapped the photo, silently promising that she would show it to all of her friends… including her boss.

Later, when Ochako had been through the shower, she came out to see Izuku in the same position from earlier, snoring softly. She climbed onto the bed and began to pull her hands through his thick hair. As he was aroused from his sleep, she asked, "You should get ready for bed, change and brush your teeth. Yeah?" He looked up at her through half-lidded eyes - she was wearing a pair of fuzzy pajama pants and one of his long sleeved tees.

After getting ready for the night, Izuku crawled under the covers and huddled close to his wife, lifting the dog onto his lap. He let himself drift off to sleep, one arm wrapped around Ochako, the other draped gently over the dog. That night, Izuku and Ochako slept content and happy, snuggled up together with the little puppy burrowed between them. That very dog had the best rest of his life. He didn't have to struggle for the unlikely possibility of food and a place to sleep. He had no other strays to fight off, and no humans kicking him around. For once, he received kindness and compassion, and wasn't met with disgust and revulsion. He didn't have to shiver in the cold of the city, and he didn't have bugs jumping on his matted coat. He was full and rested. Above all else, he was safe. And he was loved.


End file.
